Howard’s X Factor snub was recounted by the Shakes’ singer in an interview with The Independent. Howard described how she was headhunted by the TV talent contest, and explained why she turned down the offer to get on stage in front of Simon Cowell and friends:

“They heard of us through the internet and started sending me emails which kept going into my spam folder. One day, [the talent scout] called me to ask and I told her, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’ She was like, ‘Are you sure about that?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m sure. I have something going on now that I believe in and want to stick to.’ She was shocked.”

Howard added that she had never considered auditioning for the show, even when the Alabama Shakes were still without a record deal and its members were doing day jobs for the postal service, nuclear power plants, house painters and vets. Of The X Factor, Howard says:

“It’s not fair. You go out there, people gawk at you, they love you or hate you and it doesn’t mean anything to them but it means the world to you. So it’s kind of a f****d-up show. I would never do it.”

Since her X Factor offer, the career trajectory of Alabama Shakes has soared, with a record deal and appearances on Conan and The Late Show with David Letterman to their name.